Cancer and Children

 

Broadcast: February 26, 2003
By Jerilyn Watson

This is Bill White the VOA Special English Health Report.
Most children who die of cancer are in developing¹ nations. British researchers say only ten percent of children with cancer in these countries survive. They say many more could be saved if their countries had the resources² needed to find cancers and treat them.
Around the world, about one-hundred-sixty-six thousand children under age fifteen are found each year to have cancer. The researchers say eighty-four percent of these cases are found in developing countries. But many others go unnoticed.
Children from industrial countries who do get cancer also have a much better chance to survive. For example, more than seventy percent in countries like Britain and the United³ States are alive after five years.
An organization called Cancer Research United Kingdom announced these numbers to mark International Childhood Cancer Day on February fifteenth. The purpose of the event was to educate the public and raise money for children with cancer.
Cancer Research U-K says fifty-four percent of cancer cases among children strike in Asia. Also, more than half of all child cancer deaths happen in Asia. Africa has twenty-percent of childhood cancer cases and twenty-five percent of the deaths.
Vaskar Saha of Cancer Research U-K is a childhood cancer expert. Professor Saha called for an international campaign⁴ against childhood cancer similar to the campaign against AIDS. The goal would be to increase the supply and reduce the cost of drugs to treat cancer in developing countries.
Earlier this month, world trade negotiators1 agreed to continue to look for ways to cut drug prices for developing nations.
Chemotherapy2 drugs kill cancer cells⁵. Drug companies say they have improved this treatment in recent years while reducing harmful side effects. But many developing countries cannot pay for chemotherapy drugs. Another way to fight cancer is to cut out the diseased cells. A third way is to use radiation to target cancer cells.
Scientists say most cancers are caused by a combination⁶ of genetic⁷ and environmental⁸ conditions. There are warning⁹ signs of childhood cancer. These can include a white spot in the eye, unusual growths¹⁰, weight loss¹¹ and tiredness. Unexplained bleeding¹², pain and high body temperature are other possible signs.

1． negotiator [nI5g[uFeIt[] n. 谈判代表
2． chemotherapy [7kem[u5Wer[pI] n. 化学疗法

1 developing   

adj.发展中的

参考例句：

• Transport has always been the key to developing trade.运输一直是发展贸易的关键。
• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。

2 resources   

n.勇气；才智；谋略；有助于实现目标的东西；资源( resource的名词复数 )；[复数]物力；办法；来源

参考例句：

• The world's resources are rapidly diminishing. 世界资源正在迅速减少。
• a policy to equalize the distribution of resources throughout the country 使资源在全国分布均衡的政策

3 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

4 campaign   

n.运动；竞选活动；战役；vi.参加运动；进行竞选；作战

参考例句：

• The election campaign heated up in that state.该州竞选运动激烈起来了。
• The campaign had begun during his absence.在他不在期间运动已经开始了。

5 cells   

n.细胞( cell的名词复数 )；小牢房；（修道士或修女住的）小房间；电池

参考例句：

• Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria adhere to the surface of the red cells. 细菌一进入血液里，就附着在红细胞表面上。
• an amorphous mass of cells with no identity at all 不知何物的杂乱一团的细胞

6 combination   

n.组合，合并，联合；

参考例句：

• He carried on the business in combination with his friends.他与朋友们合伙做生意。
• The materials can be used singly or in combination.这些材料可以单独使用也可以混合用。

7 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

8 environmental   

adj.环境的

参考例句：

• A global environmental meeting is going to be held here.一个全球环境会议将在这里举行。
• We need to cure our environmental problems.我们需要解决环境问题。

9 warning   

n.警告，告诫，训诫，警戒，警报

参考例句：

• The other side paid no attention to our warning.对方不重视我方的警告。
• He realized that his doctor was warning him off drink.他意识到医生在告诫他戒酒。

10 growths   

n.生长( growth的名词复数 )；增加；生长物；经济增长

参考例句：

• Nails are thin horny growths at the ends of the fingers. 指甲是生长在手指头尖端的细薄角质物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Crown galls are cancerous growths composed of disorganized and proliferating plant cells. 冠瘿是无组织的正在不断增殖的植物细胞所组成的癌状物。 来自辞典例句

11 loss   

n.损失，遗失，失败，输，浪费，错过，[军]伤亡，降低

参考例句：

• His death was a great loss to the country.他的逝世对这个国家是一大损失。
• Because of the continued loss,the factory closed down.由于连续亏损，工厂关闭了。

12 bleeding   

adj.出血的；（心情）过度悲痛的；（用于加强语气，尤表示非常厌烦）该死的；讨厌的n.流血，失血v.流血( bleed的现在分词 )；勒索，敲诈；散开；给（某人）放血

参考例句：

• Press firmly on the wound to stop the bleeding. 用力压住伤口止血。
• The nurse applied pressure to his arm to stop the bleeding. 护士压住他的胳膊止血。